It’s likely not one of the first things that come to mind when you think of combative sports. In fact, you might not think of it as a combative sport at all.
Records of arm wrestling date as far back as 2000 BC; historians have found traces of the sport depicted in Egyptian cave paintings. It’s understandable why; it’s a simple test of strength that requires little more than two willing opponents who may or may not be of equal power.
Anyone who’s seen the myriad YouTube videos of a skinny guy beating a 250-pound bodybuilder will wonder what delicate balance between technique and strength is required to win against opponents consistently.
And as with many seemingly trivial pursuits, you’ll find kids battling each for the title of the strongest in the schoolyard and friends duking it out over a few beers. But then there are those like Antony Yam, who transformed his rooftop into a full-fledge gym with weights and other self-devised equipment to carve out an edge against opponents.
“To be honest, I didn’t really think of it as a sport myself,” Yam says when he first became curious after binging on YouTube videos. “And then I realise it was actually a very serious sport where people compete internationally.”
In his attempt to connect with the local arm wrestling community, he came across the Hong Kong Armwrestling Association, founded in 2016 by then-student Tommy Kwong, and immediately immersed himself in the club.
Yam admits that before arm wrestling, he wasn’t particularly into athletics. When he first joined the club two years ago, team meetings took place pretty much anywhere they could find space.
“Sometimes we would meet in public areas of housing estates or parks,” he says. More recently, the club has set up its gym, and Yam has been pushing the club’s social media presence in hopes of attracting more to the sport. The club is looking to host classes as Covid restrictions ease later this month.
“Now we have our own dedicated space; members and anyone interested can come in and train on our equipment,” he says. The club has also imported an arm wrestling machine to help members up their game, among the weights and machines you'll find at a typical gym.
“We make our own equipment, too,” Yam shares; weights tied around a karate belt are one of the gym's handiest pieces of gear.
While most link winning an arm wrestling match to having a bulky bicep and a loud grunt, Yam says it's about much more. From grip strength to building up chest muscles, Yam's journey as he navigates the world of arm wrestling has seen him bulk up quite significantly.
As he explains, the technique to win has much more to do with complete upper body coordination rather than brute force.
“We need finger and wrist strength to take down an opponent’s wrist, bicep strength to lift an opponent’s elbow and arms, and to be able to use our shoulders to turn and attack.” As Yam explains, it's not about pulling someone’s arms down but rather pulling the opponent’s back so they can’t exert their full force.
Training three days a week for an hour, the 26-year-old who works in logistics during the day credits the sport for injecting a boost of purpose and passion into his life. He’s become so dedicated to training that he’s transformed his rooftop into a personal gym, complete with equipment he designed himself.
“I used to be very skinny. But seeing my improvement when I wrestle against my friends and other club members has been very fun and fulfilling– I don’t see myself ever stopping.”
As to how his training has impacted his life beyond the arm wrestling table, he answers with a dose of humour. “Not much, to be honest. But anytime my mom needs to open a jar, I’m always the one she comes to.”
